Protected dual purpose power/enter switch apparatus and method

1. A protected power switch for an integrated receiver/decoder comprising:

a first relay adapted for operative communication with a motherboard;

a second relay adapted for operative communication with a motherboard, and in operative communication with said first relay;

a switch in operative communication with said first relay;

a processor in operative communication with said first relay;

whereby, when a device is off, said switch is configured to activate said first and second relay to power up the device, and when said device is on, said first relay connects said switch to operatively communicate with said processor as an enter switch.

2. The protected power switch of claim 1 wherein said switch may power off said device by entering a power off menu item displayed by said processor.

3. The protected power switch of claim 1 wherein said first relay and said second relay are solid state.

4. A dual purpose power/entry switch for a device such as an integrated receiver/decoder comprising;

a first relay having a first position connecting a switch to a second relay and having a second position connecting said switch to a processor, said first relay being in said first position when said device is off and being in said second position when said device is on;

said second relay being adapted to operatively communicate with a motherboard and being in operative communication with said switch such that when said first relay is in said first position, pressing said switch signals a power up for said device through said second relay; and

said processor being configured to receive signals from said switch as collections of indicated menu items controlled by said processor when said first relay is in said second position.

5. The dual purpose power/entry switch of claim 4 further comprising a power down menu item that may be selected by said switch to turn off said device.

6. The dual purpose power/entry switch of claim 4 wherein said first relay and said second relay are solid state.

7. A method of controlling power to an integrated receiver/decoder comprising:

completing a circuit with a push button to power up;

opening said circuit with a transistor controlled by a processor to continue operation of said device, said processor being in operative communication with said push button and with said transistor;

entering with said push button a menu item displayed by said processor to power down.

8. An apparatus for power control of a device having a motherboard configured to power up on momentary closure of a circuit and to operate with said circuit open and to power down upon closure of said circuit, comprising;

a button in operative communication with said circuit such that operating said button when said device is off closes said circuit;

a processor in operative communication with said button such that when said button is operated when said device is off, said processor activates a transistor to open said circuit at a preconfigured time;

said processor being further configured to present a plurality of menu choices to a user, said menu choices being selectable by a connection established between said button and said processor when said device is on; and

one of said menu choices being a power down choice, said power down choice being selectable by operation of said button and said processor being configured to deactivate said transistor to close said circuit when said power down choice is selected.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said circuit is closed when said device is off.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein operation of said button first opens then closes said circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said operative communication between said button, said processor and said circuit is solid state.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said operative communication between said button, said processor and said circuit is via at least two relays.

13. The apparatus of the preceding claim wherein said operative communication between said button and said processor and said circuit is via a single relay.

14. The apparatus of the preceding claim wherein said button is a two pole button.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said circuit is closed for power down via firmware control in said processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said circuit is closed for power down via software control in said motherboard.